Philippines set to file criminal case against Chinese businessman Tony Yang

Tony, the elder brother of an economic adviser of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, is accused of having links to illegal gaming operators

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Chinese businessman Tony Yang appears before the Philippine Senate on Tuesday. Photo: Facebook/senateph

Published: 4:51pm, 25 Sep 2024Updated: 4:51pm, 25 Sep 2024

The Philippines has pledged to pursue criminal charges against Chinese businessman Tony Yang after an ongoing investigation into illegal gaming operations revealed his ties to shady syndicates in the country.

Tony, the elder brother of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s economic adviser Michael Yang, was arrested at Manila airport last week.

Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin Remulla said Tony faced multiple cases, including identity theft and violation of immigration laws, and he would not be sent back to China where he was wanted for financial fraud.

“We have a choice between immediate deportation and filing of criminal cases, I think the filing of criminal cases takes precedence now,” Remulla said at a news conference on Tuesday.

His remarks came as Tony told senators at a hearing he was a Chinese national, who illegally obtained his Filipino citizenship after arriving in the country in 1998 to reportedly help his grandfather run their family business, which included a steel plant allegedly linked to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) firm in Misamis Oriental province.